A “Changeling’s” View: 100 Days Later

Christina Duszynski

Undergraduate/Political Science

As each school year comes to a close, I enjoy looking back on the year’s festivities and overall experiences that made it all worthwhile. Without a doubt, when reminiscing of this year, one particular experience comes to mind that I daresay "changed" my life forever–that would be the 2008 Presidential Election. However, as joyous, inspirational, and amazing as those November days were, as well as January 20 when our country took its first step forward in eight years and made history, I realized looking back that I had some unfinished business to attend to.

When pondering what I wanted to say in my first ever article of The Flip Side, my memory led me to an article back in Issue 8 that I never had the chance to respond to at the time, but that I feel needs a response, even to this day. This article, however well-written, used the particular term "changeling" in an incorrect and incredibly false context in which I feel needs to be addressed.(Editor’s note: Issac’s Orr’s article "The Meaning of Change" appeared in the January 28 issue of The Flip Side.) And as much as I love the author of that article dearly (really I do), he needs to know the truth. And although the truth is known to hurt sometimes, I sincerely hope this doesn’t.

"Changelings" – the term often used by the opposition to negatively group together the unified body of people that stood behind a truly inspirational leader of this country: our current president, Barack Obama. The term, as it was used in the article, implies that this group of people blindly supported Obama without having true knowledge of what he planned to do for our country. The term unifies all people in support of Obama assuming we all essentially just wanted "change," and believed that jumping on the bandwagon with the majority of U.S. citizens in support of Obama would bring about that change.

As you can see, I very well understand the meaning behind the way the term was used in this article; however, I choose to see it a different way – the more literal, correct, and possibly even proper way.

I say: "changeling" – a term describing an influential person bringing about positive change by ways of their leadership, intelligence, and guidance.

Rosa Parks was a changeling when she sat in the front of that bus and refused to move. Martin Luther King Jr. was a changeling for everything he did for civil rights in America. Malcolm X was a changeling for his human rights activism. Benjamin Franklin was a changeling. Mother Theresa was a changeling. Gandhi was a changeling. George Washington was a changeling. Eleanor Roosevelt was a changeling.

Need I go on? Perhaps.

Abraham Lincoln was a changeling. Thomas Edison was a changeling. William Shakespeare was a changeling. Thomas Jefferson was a changeling. The May 6th - September 9th 5

Wright Brothers were changelings. Sir Isaac Newton was a changeling. Albert Einstein was a changeling. Winston Churchill was a changeling. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a changeling. Henry Ford was a changeling. Nelson Mandela was a changeling. And yes, argue about it all you want, but Che Guevara was a changeling too.

With that said, President Obama is most definitely a changeling, and I myself am a changeling as well (and proud to be I might add).

So with this school year coming to a close and Obama’s term still just beginning, the term "changeling" may have been amusing before, but who’s getting the last laugh now? Despite any bitterness the opposition may still have, my fellow "changelings" and I take pride everyday for what we accomplished in electing President Obama. At least we can wake up every morning knowing we now have a true leader who will step outside of the box if necessary, subjecting himself to being called a "changeling," to do what is needed to push our country forward. I mean hell, the man has made more positive changes for our country in his first 100 days in office than George W. Bush did in one of his terms, maybe even both! Sorry to say, but I think the "changelings" have pretty much taken over, and the next four years will likely be filled with positive changes moving our country forward.

Scary, isn’t it? Yea, those 22 "changelings" I previously named scare the shit out of me too. ;)

Sincerely yours,

A Changeling